Apparatus for forming twisted cable



April 1965 B. M. TORELLI 3,180,372

APPARATUS FOR FORMING TWISTED CABLE Filed July 23. 1962 WVE'NTOR 50x0 M.TORELL.

14 TTORNEYS United States Patent ce snaasa'z APARATUS FGR FORls HNGTWESTED CABLE Boyd M. Torelii, Ziaclssonvilie, Fla, assignor toMid-fitates teel & Wire Company, Crawfordsville, Ind, 21 corporation oflndiana Filed July 23, 1962, Ser. No. 211,773 Claims. (62. 146-149) Thisinvention relates to apparatus for forming twisted cable and moreparticularly to apparatus for twisting a multi-strand cable andcollecting the same in loose coils for storage and transportation.

In the manufacture of twisted cable a plurality of wires are twistedtogether in a rotating twister head and the cable so formed has been leddirectly from the twister head to 21 tel e-up reel on which the cable iswound under tension. This has been necessary because the cable leavingthe twister head has a residual twisting stress tending to cause it tountwist slightly. Therefore, the only way such cable could be handledand stored is in a confined condi tion, such as that produced by windingit under tension on a reel. Otherwise, the cable tends to snake andtangle with danger of injury to persons in the vicinity and with damageto the cable.

Wire in the form of single strands has been stored and shipped in loosecoils and it would be highly advantageous both from the standpoint ofeconomics and ease of handling to treat twisted cable in the same way.It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provideapparatus for forming twisted cable in which the residual twistingstress in the cable is neutralized so that the cable can be handled inloose coils.

Another object is to provide apparatus for twisting cable in which thecable is taken directly from the twisting head to a dead block take-upunit and is so wrapped on the dead block as to remove residual twistingstress therein. The cable may then be taken from the dead block in theform of loose coils which may be easily and eco nomically handled.

The above and other objects and features of the inven tion will be morereadily apparent from the following do scription when read in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

The single figure is a diagrammatic view of cable twist ing apparatusembodying the invention.

The twisting apparatus, as shown, is supported on a frame, indicated at19, which may be either vertical or horizontal for passage of the cablethrough the apparatus in either a vertical ora horizontal direction.Commonly the cable would pass in a horizontal direction, although thisis not essential.

The cable is formed in a twister head which, as shown, comprises anelongated tube 11 rotatably mounted in the frame and formed with aflared collar 12 at its outer end into which the wires to be twisted inthe cable are fed. The twister head 1-1 may be driven by a motor 13driving a shaft '14 on which a sprocket .15 is secured. The sprocket 15is connected by a chain to to a sprocket 17 on the twister head so thatthe twister head :will be rotated when the motor is running.

Wire to form the cable is drawn from a plurality of reels or scools 13mounted on a carrier plate 19 which is secured to and rotatable with thetwister head. The spools is are preferably positioned around the twisterhead and the wires therefrom, as shown at 21, extend into the collar 12and are twisted together as the twister head turns to form the cable,indicated at 22. Preferably a brake mechanism 23 is provided to stop thetwister head and to hold it against rotation when desired.

A core w-ire Zia is fed into the twister head and the wires 21 aretwisted around it. The core wire is taken hisastt Patented A 27, 1965from a spool 29 mounted on the frame Ill and is led over guide sheaves2dr; axially into the twister head 11.

The cable after being twisted in the twister head is conveyed directlyto a dead block take-up unit supported on the frame 16 which draws thecable through the twister head and forms it into loose coils. The deadblock take up unit comprises a tubular shaft 24 through which the cableruns axially and on the outer end of which a dead block 25 is rotatablymounted. The cable passing through the shaft 24 passes over a guidesheave 26 extending through an opening into the shaft and radiallyoutward over guide sheaves 27 and 28. The sheaves 2.7 and 23 are carriedby a plate or spider 29 secured to and rotatable with the shaft 24 andserves to guide the cable around the rim of the dead block and onto thedead block.

Since the sheaves 27 and 28 lie at an angle to the plane in which thecable is wound, they tend to put a spiral into the cable as it is woundonto the dead block. In order to remove this spiral an additional sheave3t) is provided at a point diametrically opposite to the sheaves 27 and23 and whose axis is parallel to the axis of the dead block. The cablepassing from the sheave .28 passes once around the dead block as shownand is then drawn over the sheave 30 and returns to the dead block to bewound thereon. Since the sheave 30 is parallel to the dead block it willre-form the cable with a proper cast to lie smoothly on the dead blockwithout any tendency to spiral so that the cable will lie in arelatively tight coil when it is re moved from the dead block.

The shaft '24 is driven by the motor .13 through a reducing drive sothat its speed will be less than the speed of the twister head. Theratio of the speeds may be varied, depending upon the number of wirescoming into the cable and the amountof twist desired so that each unitof length of the cable will be twisted through the desired number ofturns as the cable passes through the twister head. As shown, the shaft14 carries a small sprocket 31 which is connected through a chain 32 toa larger sprocket 33 on an idler shaft =34. A smaller sprocket 35 on theidler shaft is connected through a chain 36 to a large sprocket 37 onthe shaft 24 to drive the shaft 24 at a desired reduced speed. It willbe seen that the speed ratio between the twister head and the take-upshaft 24 may be changed easily by changing the sprockets.

The dead block is held against rotation in any desired manner as, forexample, in the manner more particularly described and claimed in thepatent to Keesee, No. 2,847,- 171. As shown, however, the dead block isconnected to a sprocket 38 and a chain 39 gears the sprocket 38 to asprocket 4-1 carried by an idler shaft 42 which is journaled in theplate 29 and an arm 43 secured to the shaft 24 to turn around the shaft24 as it rotates. The idler shaft 42 carries a second sprocket 44 of thesame size as the sprocket 41 which is geared through a chain 45 to asprocket 45 of the same size as the sprocket 33 and which is fixedlymounted on the frame ill. With this construction as the shaft Bdrotates,the sprocket and chain mechanism gears the dead block to the fixedsprocket 35 so that the dead block will be held against rotation.

In order to mark the cable to indicate increments of length thereof,means are provided periodically to spray the cable with paint. As shown,the spray means comprise aconventional paint spray can 51 mountedadjacent to the cable as it passes from the twister head to the hollowshaft 24. A solenoid 52 is provided periodically to open the valve ofthe paint spray can so that it will spray a spot of paint on the cable.The solenoid is con trolled by a switch 53 which is periodically closedby a cam 54 on a pinion 55. The pinion 55 is driven through a speedreduction train by a drive pinion 56 secured to the tubular shaft 24.

As the apparatus operates to form the cable, the switch V of paint onthe cable.

53 will be closed periodically to open the valve of the paint spray canso that it will spray a spot or short strip be adjusted by positioningthe switch relative to the cam 54 and by design of the cam so that thevalve will be maintained open for any desired interval of time.Preferably a quick-drying paint, such as lacquer, is employed which willbe dry by the time it reaches the sheave 26, but

The length of the paint mark may V radially out-ward from the if desireda felt wiper, not shown, may be mounted to 1 contact sheave 26 to wipeoff any undried excess paint that may have been deposited on theprevious revolution.

In operation, the twister head 11, and the shaft 24 turn in the samedirection, but at different speeds. As the Wires 21 pass through thetwister head they will be twisted into the cable 22 and at this pointthe wires in the cable will have a residual stress tending to 'untwistthe cable slightly. The cable is preferably twisted counterclockwise sothat When the cable is being stretched after being pulled from the coil,the twist therein will tend to tighten. As the cable passes over theguide sheaves 26, 27 and 28 and is wound onto the stationary deadblockin the same direction of rotation as that in which the twister headturns, the cable tends to beunwound as it goes onto the dead block, Bycorrectly proportioning the speed ratios of the twister head and shaft24 and the diameter of the dead block the cable'may be untwisted justsufiiciently to neutralize the residual twisting stress therein so thatit layson the dead block in a neutral coiled condition. The

coiled cable can easily be taken from the deadblock in indefinitelengths into a container or around a central stem for storage andhandling and can easily be taken V shaft and a pairof axially spacedguide rolls carried by the shaft radially spaced therefrom for rotationtherewith, one of said pair of guide rolls receiving the cable from thefirst guide roll and the second guiding the cable onto the block to bewrapped thereon as the shaft'turns, the head and shaft turning in thesame direction thereby to untwist'the cable to neutralize residualtwisting stress therein as the cable is wrapped on the block.

3. Apparatus for forming a twisted cable comprising a tubular rotatabletwisting head, a support carried by the head carrying a plurality ofspools of wire which is fed into the head and twisted into a cable asthe head rotates, a tubular rotatable shaft coxial with the head throughwhich the cable passes axially, a take-up block coaxial with the shaftadjacent to one end thereof, means to hold the take-up block againstrotation, guide means carried by and rotatable with the shaft to guide.the cable radially outwardtherefrom and then radially inward onto'theblock to be wrapped on'the block as the'shaft turns, and drive means fordriving the head and the shaft in the same direction and includingreducing means to drive the shaft at lower speed than the head. V

4. Apparatusfor forming twisted cable comprising a rotatable twisterhead, means on the twister head carrying a plurality of spools of wirewhich is twisted into a cable as the head rotates, a take-oh deviceincluding a tubular shaft rotatable synchronously with the twister headinto from the container or stem for use without any snaking or tangling.When the wire on the spools is exhausted, new

spools maybe substituted and'the ends of the wires thereon welded to theends of the wires on the. previous spools sothat indefinite lengths ofcable can be formed. Therefore, 'by the present invention twisted cablecan easily and economically be handled in much the same manner assinglestrand wire without requiring tight confinernent or reeling it undertension. Furthermore, the cable is easier to handle in use because thereis no residual twisting stress therein so that it does not tend to coilor tangle when it is withdrawn'from the container or stem.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribedherein, it will be understood that it is illus: trative onlyand not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention,reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

, What is claimed is: a

c .1. Apparatus for forming a twisted cable comprising a rotatabletwister head, means on the twister head for carrying a plurality ofspools of wire which is twisted into a cable as the head rotates, atake-off device including a tubular shaft rotatable synchronously withthe twister head, the cable from the twister head passing axiallythrough the shaft, a take-up block adjacent to the end of the shaft andcoaxial therewith, means holding the take-up block against rotation, andguide means carried by the shaft to guide the cable radially from theshaft and then inwardly onto the block to be wrapped on the block as theshaft turns, the head and shaft turning in the same direction thereby tountwist the cable as it is wound on the block to neutralize residualtwisting stress in the cable.

2. Apparatus for forming a twisted cable comprising a rotatable twisterhead, means on the twister head for carrying a plurality of spoolsof-wire which is twisted into a cable as the head rotates, a take-offdevice including a tubular shaft rotatable synchronously with thetwister head, the cable from the twister head 'passing axially throughthe shaft,.atak e-up block adjacent to the end of the shaft and coaxialtherewith, means holding the take-up block against rotation, a firstguide roll carried by the shaft on an axis transverse thereto'guidingthe cable 7 which the cable passes axially, a take-up block adjacent tothe end of the shaft and coaxial therewith, means holding the take-upblock against rotation, a first guide roll carried by the shaft on anaxis transverse thereto to guide the cable radially outward from theshaft, a pair of spaced guide; sheaves carried by the shaft for rotationtherewith,

roll and the other guiding the cable onto the block, a third sheavecarried byfithe shaft for rotation therewith angularly spaced from thepair of sheaves and rotatable on an axis parallel to the shaft axis, thecable passing from the block over the third sheave and back to the blockto remove any spiral bias therefrom, and means to rotate the head andshaft in the same direction. a 5. Apparatus for forming twisted cablecomprising rotatable twister head, means on the twister head carrying aplurality of spools of wire which is twisted into a cable as the headrotates, a take-off deviceincluding a tubular shaft rotatablesynchronously with the twister head and in the same direction into whichthe cable passes axially,

atake-up block adjacent to the end of the shaft and coaxial therewith,means holding the take-up block against rotation, a first guide rollcarried by the shaft on an axis References Cited by the Examiner UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 2,464, 60 3/49 Gre6n.. -149 3,013,741 12/61 Bittman;242-s2 3,065,772 11/62 Amey 140 92.2 3,067,782 12/62 Dean etal "140-149CHARLES w; LANHAM, Prim ary Examiner.

WILLIAM F. PURDY, Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR FORMING A TWISTED CABLE COMPRISING A ROTATABLE TWISTER HEAD, MEANS ON THUE TWISTER HEAD FOR CARRYING A PLURALITY OF SPOOLS OF WIRE WHICH IS TWISTED INTO A CABLE AS THE HEAD ROTATES, A TAKE-OFF DEVICE INCLUDING A TUBULAR SHAFT ROTATABLE SYNCHRONOUSLY WITH THE TWISTER HEAD, THE CABLE FROM THE TWISTER HEAD PASSING AXIALLY THROUGH THE SHAFT, A TAKE-UP BLOCK ADJACENT TO THE END OF THE SHAFT AND COAXIAL THEREWITH, MEANS HOLDING THE TAKE-UP BLOCK AGAINST ROTATION, AND GUIDE MEANS CARRIED BY THE SHAFT TO GUIDE THE CABLE RADIALLY FROM THE SHAFT AND THEN INWARDLY ONTO THE BLOCK TO BE WRAPPED ON THE BLOCK AS THE SHAFT TURNS, THE HEAD AND SHAFT TURNING IN THE SAME DIRECTION THEREBY TO UNTWIST THE CABLE ASD IT IS WOUND ON THE BLOCK TO NEUTRALIZE RESIDUAL TWISTING STRES IN THE CABLE. 